Storage rack beam and storage rack utilizing same

ABSTRACT

A STORAGE RACK INCLUDING A PAIR OF HORIZONTAL, PARALLEL BEAMS, EACH OF WHICH IS A UNITARY SHEET OF STEEL FORMED AS A TUBE TO PROVIDE A RECESSED FACING SEAT FOR SUPPORTING A HORIZONTAL DECK. THE TOP WALL IS FORMED OF ADJACENT OVERLAPPING WALL SECTIONS WHICH REINFORCE EACH OTHER AND ARE GENERALLY EQUAL IN WIDTH TO THE BOTTOM WALL. BY PROVIDING A DEPENDING SHORT FLANGE ON THE UNDERLYING WALL SECTION, MANUFACTURING IS FACILITATED. BY EXTENDING THE WIDTH OF THE UPPER WALL SECTION OVER THE SEAT, A RESTRAINING SLOT IS FORMED TO HOLD THE DECK IN PLACE.

United States Patent Inventor Anthony N. Konstant Mt. Prospect, [11.

Appl. No. 779,451

Filed Nov. 27, 1968 Patented June 28, 197 l Assignee Speedrack lnc.

Skokie, lll.

STORAGE RACK BEAM AND STORAGE RACK 2,937,767 5/1960 Butler 211/1483,042,221 7/1962 Rasmussen 211/148 3,070,237 12/1962 Fullert0n....211/176 3,102,641 9/1963 Konstant 211/148 3,127,995 4/1964 Mosinski211/148 3,397,858 8/1968 Williams..... 211/177 3,463,325 8/1969 Zagotta211/177 Primary Examiner-Francis K. Zugel AttorneyAnderson, Luedeka,Fitch, Even and Tabin ABSTRACT: A storage rack including a pair ofhorizontal, parallel beams, each of which is a unitary sheet of steelformed as a tube to provide a recessed facing seat for supporting ahorizontal deck. The top wall is formed of adjacent overlapping wallsections which reinforce each other and are generally equal in width tothe bottom wall. By providing a depending short flange on the underlyingwall section, manufacturing is facilitated. By extending the width ofthe upper wall section over the seat, a restraining slot is formed tohold the deck in place.

STORAGE RACK BEAM AND STORAGE RACK UTILIZING SAME This invention relatesgenerally to storage racks and, more particularly, to a storage rackbeam of improved construction and to a method for making same.

Storage racks of various designs are in use for storing a variety ofmaterials in warehouses and other storage areas. One type of storagerack commonly used for storing heavier materials includes a plurality ofvertical posts and pairs of horizontal beams attached to the posts whichsupport a deck upon which the stored items rest.

In storage racks of the particular type described, it is generallydesirable to keep the deck from shifting with respect to the beams andposts. Displacement of the deck can be prevented by riveting, bolting,or otherwise linking the deck to the beams which support it. Suchprocedures are often undesirable because they add to the cost of thestorage racks and, once the rack is assembled, make it difficult todismantle. For this reason, storage racks often employ beams which areformed, along facing interior upper corners, with a vertical shoulderadjacent a horizontal seat upon which decking may be supported. With thedecking resting on the seat, the adjacent upwardly extending shoulderprevents displacement of the decking in the fore-and-aft direction.Storage racks employing beams of this type are shown in U.S. Pats. Nos.2,932,368 and 3,102,641.

Although storage racks incorporating such beams for supporting deckshave been used successfully in many cases, improved constructions forsuch beams are always being sought. These beams have usually beenmanufactured from two separate pieces, which has required assembly in amanner to assume close longitudinal alignment of the two pieces. Beamsincorporating such a vertical shoulder and adjacent seat have also beenrolled from a unitary tube of steel. Such unitary beams, because the topwall will necessarily be narrower than the width of the initial squaretube and will only be a single thickness of steel thick, have arelatively low bending strength to weight ratio for it'is the top wallof the beam that is typically under compression. To make the top wallthicker by using a heavier gauge steel results in inefficientutilization of steel because additional steel is inherently provided inthe sides and bottom walls.

Another problem sometimes encountered in connection with storage racksof this general type is that, when a heavy load is dropped accidentallyor intentionally onto the deck, the deck may rebound out of alignmentandresult in the deck protruding above the supporting beams causingdifficulty in loading as well as hazard and may well cause injury to theproduct loaded. This problem cannot be solved by riveting or bolting thedeckto the beams without sacrificing the ease of assembly and theefficiency of adjustability desirable in a storage rack.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved storagerack.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved beam for usein a storage rack.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved storage rackbeam which has an excellent strength to weight ratio.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a storage rack whichis readily dismantled and which incorporates a deck that is positivelyrestrained from rebounding out of place when a heavy load is dropped onit.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled inthe art from the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a storage rack constructedin accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view through a modified form of a storage rackbeam shown in an intermediate position during the manufacturing process;and

FlG. 4 is a sectional view through a storage rack beam ofa furthermodified design.

Very generally, a storage rack 9 is illustrated which is made up ofpairs of beams, such as beams 11 and 12, that are supported horizontallybetween vertical posts 13, 14, 16 and 17. As best seen in FIG. 2, thebeam 11 is formed ofa single strip or sheet of steel to include a bottomwall 18 extending between a pair of upstanding sidewalls 19 and 20. Aninturned shelf or recessed seat 22 is formed at the upper end of thesidewall 20, and a vertical shoulder 21 extends upward therefrom. Thetop wall of the beam is formed by a pair of overlapping top wallsections 23 and 24 which lie adjacent and in reinforcing contact witheach other. The beam 11 may be secured in tubular configuration by alongitudinal weld line along the edges of the top wall sections 23 and24 as indicated by reference letter W. A horizontal deck 25 extendsbetween the beams 11 and 12 and has its opposite edge portions restingin the recessed seats provided in the beams. Generally the thickness ofthe deck 25 will be about equal to the height of the vertical shoulder21 so that the upper surface of the deck is about flush with the topsurfaces of the beams.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 1, the storage rack 9 isillustrated with upper and lower decks 24 and 26. The decks may be ofany suitable construction, and plywood is one example of material thatis often used. The four vertical posts 13, 14, 16 and 17 may havesupport feet 27 welded or otherwise suitably attached to the lower endsof the posts to provide a broad load-bearing surface and more stablesupport. The posts 13, 14, 16 and 17 may be of any suitableconstruction, and the illustrated posts are made of channels ofgenerally C- shaped cross section having inturned flanges. Rigidity isadded to the structure by joining posts at the same ends in pairs toform end frames. For example, in the illustrated rack 9, the posts 13and 14 are secured together by a pair of horizontal cross ties 29 and 31and a diagonal cross tie 32 which extend into the openings between theinturned flanges of the posts and are appropriately welded thereto.

The lower deck 26 is supported below the upper deck 24 by a pair ofhorizontal beams 37 and 38 which are duplicates of beams 12 and 11. Thebeams 11, 12, 37 and 38 are provided with mounting brackets 39 at eachend thereof which are welded or otherwise suitably affixed to the beams.Each of the vertical posts 13, 14 16 and 17 is provided with twovertical rows of holes 41 spaced at uniform vertical intervals along theheight of the posts. The brackets 39 are provided with slots thatcorrespond with the spacing of holes 41, and the brackets are detachablysecured to the posts by locking pins. The connection employed is shownin detail in U.S. Pat. No. 2,932,368.

The beam 12 is generally similar to the beam 11 including a bottom wall43, a pair of sidewalls 44 and 45, a vertical shoulder 46 and a shelf orseat 47 whereupon the deck 24 rests. The top wall of the beam 12 issimilarly formed by overlapping top wall sections 48 and 49 which lieadjacent and reinforce each other. However the upper wall section 48 iswider than the lower wall section 49 so that it extends beyond thevertical shoulder 46 and overlies the shelf 47 in spaced parallelrelation thereto. As a result, a slot is formed for capturing the edgeof the deck 24 which effectively prevents the deck 24 from reboundingupward out of the recessed seat in the event a heavy load is droppedonto the deck. The tubular configuration of the beam 12 is secured byjoining the top wall sections by a line of weld W at the edge of the topwall section 49 and near the middle of the overlying top wall section48.

In order to provide the seats 22 and 47 in tubular beams of the typeillustrated, the width of the top wall of the tubular beam isnecessarily less than the bottom wall. The top wall is a very importantmember in carrying the compressive loading of the beams. It was foundthat if the top wall could be stiffened or somehow appropriatelyreinforced, a beam of substantially greater load-bearing strength couldbe provided without going to a heavier gauge steel or to beam of greaterdepth. The dou ble thickness of steel in the overlapped top wallfacilitates balancing the mass of steel in the top and bottom walls andprovides an excellent weight to load-bearing strength relationship.Moreover, the unitary beam having this double-lap construction isconsidered to facilitate substantial manufacturing advantages.

Referring to the beam ll, the wall 23 and 24 are formed from theopposite edges of the strip or sheet from which the beam is constructed.These overlapping walls can be formed to reasonably close dimensionaltolerances, and when the free edge of the lower top wall section 24extends all the way to the interior surface of the sidewall 19, itprovides a ready reference point for assembly. Because the beams are ofunitary construction, they may be formed by a progressive rollingoperation which gradually transforms the single strip of steel into thedesired beam cross-sectional configuration. By suitably adjusting therolling apparatus, the beam may be made in several depths and widthswith one set of tooling. The double lap construction at the top of thebeam allows the area of the top and bottom walls to be effectivelyequalized for efficient weight to beam strength ratio. Likewise, it canbe seen that such a forming operation can easily accommodate theoptional provision of an extra-wide upper wall section 48 to provide theslot wherein one edge of the deck 25 will be restrained. As illustratedin the drawings, if such a slot is provided, it is employed in only oneof each pair of two beams to facilitate sliding insertion of one edge ofthe deck into the slot in the beam, after the beams have been secured tothe vertical posts, the other edge of the deck being merely dropped intoseated location.

In the modified version of the storage rack beam 11 illustrated in FIG.3, the lower wall 24 of the overlapping top wall section is providedwith a downturned flange 55 at the edge thereof. This short downturnedflange 55 requires little more material and provides advantages both inrigidity and manufacturing operation. Clearly, the provision of thedownturned flange 25 adds stiffness to the lower member 24' of the topwall. Likewise, the radius of curvature at the point of transition tothe downturned flange allows the radius of curvature at the comerbetween the overlying top wall section 23 and the sidewall 11 to beclosely matched. Furthermore, in a rolling operation performed ascontemplated, the individual wall sections will each be initially formedby bending or folding along fold lines which will later become thecorners of the beam and then the beam will be finally folded into itsgenerally rectangular tubular form. FIG. 3 illustrates the beam 11 as itmight appear prior to this final folding operation. The downturnedflange 55 provides a guide surface to assure that the top wall section24 will slide under the top wall section 23' and is particularlyvaluable in the instance wherein the attitude of the wall sections 23'and 24', at this stage of the folding operation, is such that theirouter edges fairly nearly coincide. Accordingly, such a mechanicalforming operation is facilitated by the provision of the flange 55.

The foregoing overall described construction of the storage rack and ofthe improved beam provides significant advantages in manufacturing,assembly and use of storage racks as set forth above. Such advantages,taken singly and in combination, provide a substantial improvement overprevious designs. The improved beam is relatively light in weight for agiven strength and provides savings in manufacturing cost.

Various modifications of the invention, in addition to those shown anddescribed herein, will become apparent to those skilled in the art fromthe foregoing description and accompanying drawings. For example, thebeam 11 might be constructed with the top wall section 24 overlying thetop wall section 23. Moreover, it should be recognized that theadvantages which are obtained from capturing the edge of the deck withinthe slot formed by the overlying upper wall section of the beam can begained whether or not advantage is also taken of single sheetconstruction. As shown in FlG. 4, a storage rack beam 61 may beconstructed from two separately formed halves 63 and 65 which aresuitably interconnected, as by welding along two longitudinal lines, andformed to provide a slot 67 similar to that provided in the beam 12.Furthermore, a pair of beams having such slots may be used tosimultaneously restrain opposite edges of a deck; however, in such aninstance adequate provision should be made for installation of the deckwithin the facing slots of the beams. The beams may be mounted to thecolumns in a different manner than as illustrated so as to provideaccess at the sides of the rack which would allow the deck to be slidinto place in the assembled rack, or the deck may be first fitted intothe slot in one beam and then supported manually while the other of thepair of beams is attached to the columns. Such modifications andvariations are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Various of the features of the invention are set forth in the claimswhich follow.

lclaim:

l. A storage rack comprising at least one pair of spaced aparthorizontal beams, posts at the ends of said beams supporting said beamsin parallel relationship to each other, each of said beams being aunitary sheet of structural material formed into a tubular constructionto include a bottom wall, a pair of upstanding sidewalls, one of saidsidewalls being of a lesser height and terminating in an inturned wallportion that provides a horizontal shelf, a vertical shoulder upstandingfrom the interior edge of said shelf, a horizontal first top wallsection formed at the upper end of said shoulder section and extendingtoward said other sidewall, and a horizontal second top wall sectionwhich extends from said other sidewall toward said shoulder, said firstand second top wall sections being joined by means to lie adjacent eachother in overlapped relationship and form the top wall of said tubularbeam construction, the total width of said first and second top wallsections being at least about equal to said bottom wall, and a deckextending between said beams and having opposite edge portions thereofresting on said shelves in said pair of beams, said second top wallsection of one of said pair of beams overlying said first section andextending a sufficient distance past said shoulder to form a slot forretaining one of said edge portions of said deck.

2. A storage rack according to claim 1 wherein said overlapped first andsecond top wall sections are generally equal in width.

3. A storage rack according to claim 1 wherein a downturned flange isprovided at the edge of said first top wall section, which flange liesadjacent the interior surface of said other sidewall.

4. A storage rack beam adapted for employment as one of a pair ofparallel horizontal beams which may support a flat deck therebetween,said beam being a unitary sheet of structural material of substantiallyconstant thickness formed into tubular construction to include a bottomwall, a pair of upstanding sidewalls, one of said sidewalls being of alesser height and terminating in an inturned wall portion that providesa horizontal shelf, a vertical shoulder upstanding from the interioredge of said shelf, a horizontal first top wall section formed at theupper end of said shoulder and extending toward said other sidewall, anda horizontal second top wall section which extends from the top of saidother sidewall toward said shoulder, said first and second top wallsections being joined by means to lie adjacent each other in overlappedrelationship and form the topwall of said tubular beam, the total widthof said first and second top wall sections being at least about equal tothe width of said bottom wall and said second top wall section overlyingsaid first section and extending a sufficient distance past saidshoulder to form a slot for retaining an edge ofa flat deck supported bysaid beam.

5. A storage rack beam according to claim 4 wherein said overlappedfirst and second top wall sections are generally equal in width.

6. A storage rack beam according to claim 4 wherein a downturned flangeis provided at the edge of said first top wall section and said flangelies adjacent the interior surface of said other sidewall.

7. A storage rack beam designed for employment as one of a pair ofparallel horizontal beams and to support a flat deck extending betweenthe pair of beams, said beam being generally tubular in shape andincluding a bottom wall, a pair of up standing sidewalls, one of saidsidewalls being shorter than the other and terminating in an inturnedhorizontal shelf portion, a vertical shoulder upstanding from theinterior edge of said horizontal shelf portion, and a horizontal topwall connected to said other sidewall, said horizontal top wallextending from the top of said other sidewall past said shoulder andoverlying said horizontal shelf portion a sufficient distance to form aslot therebetween for retaining an edge portion of a flat deck supportedby said beam.

8. A storage rack beam in accordance with claim 7 wherein said tubularbeam is formed from a unitary sheet of material having a line of joinderlocated along said top wall.

9. A storage rack beam in accordance with claim 7 wherein said tubularbeam is formed from two halves which are joined along common surfaces atthe top and bottom of said beam.

